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“She should be there by now. How many hours does it take to—”
“Hours?” I yelled so loud the windows shook. “When did she leave your house, Kate?”
"Around nine or ten in the morning,” she replied, sounding breathless like she was pacing.
I did the math. More than six hours ago. Cape Worth was a sizable city but not by much. With a calm I didn't feel, I asked, “When was she planning to get here?”
"In fifteen or twenty minutes after she left? I don't know, but it shouldn't take this long. Oh, God.”
She wouldn't say it, and neither could I. But we were both thinking it. Violet knew no one in the city besides her friends and me. So she didn't stop to see anyone. It could only mean one thing.
“Do you think he found her?” she asked in a broken voice.
Her words hit like a brick in the middle of my chest. “He’ll be sorry if he did. What route did she follow?”
After I got the area down, I ended the call. Still holding on to the need not to be a stalker like Eric, I called her line. What if she stopped for a drink? Didn't make sense if she feared running into her ex, but I had to give her the benefit of the doubt. Running headlong into searching for her may cause a more significant rift between us if she didn't want to be found.
The call rang until it went to voicemail. Again and again I tried but got the same response. She wasn't taking her calls. A sinking feeling crowded in my stomach. Fuck it. I'd rather be wrong and risk her anger than sit around and do nothing. Immediately, I called Tony. I couldn't delay. It was too many hours that she was out alone in the city. Any number of things could have happened to her by now. The sooner we found her, the better.
He picked up on the first ring. “Yes, sir.”
“We need to find Violet.”
“Where should we start looking?”
I rattled off Kate's address, then the road Violet would have followed. "I'll send her phone number and meet you in a bit."
Heart thumping, I strode out of the study and went upstairs. Quickly, I threw on jeans and a T-shirt and headed downstairs.
“Dad, come see.” Brady caught my arm on the base of the stairs, tugging me toward the living room.
“I'm sorry, son.” I ruffled his hair. “But I have to go.”
“But we never see you,” he complained.
I had no defense against that. “I'll be back home soon.” Hopefully. “Tell Dina I left.”
“Wanda.”
“What?”
“Our nanny's name is Wanda.” With his face drawn, he returned to the living room.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. My unstable state was affecting my boys more than I had imagined. I needed to make things right. I made a mental note to speak with them once I got back. For now, though, I had to find Violet. Hopefully, Eric hadn't gotten to her first.
Chapter19
Violet
I walked briskly down the sidewalk, just short of running. Was Eric right behind me? I looked over my shoulder. No sign of him, but I wasn't in the clear yet. The coffee shop was a block away, and I saw him leave just moments after I did. It would do no good to hope and pray he followed another direction; I couldn't fool myself. If he followed me to Cape Worth and Shawn's house, he could find me in a semi-crowded street.
My heart clenched. Shawn had said to call him if I ever ran into Eric again, but I probably had no right to do so anymore, and I was too scared to slow down and fish my phone out of my bag. I held the cups of coffee close and increased my pace. I had no idea which way Shawn's penthouse was now, but I needed to lose Eric first before I found my bearings.Just keep moving, Violet.
I left Kate's this morning with the courage of Superman. I took a bus and got off at the bus stop closest to Shawn's penthouse. Preoccupied with the thoughts of how my visit with Shawn would go, I worked myself into a nervous state and slowed my steps. What if he didn't want to see me? What if he kicked me out? After I dawdled for some minutes, I sucked in a breath and forged on.
I probably overestimated my resolve because once I spotted a café, I ducked inside to get coffee for myself and Shawn. Anything to delay the time until I reached the penthouse. I went up to the counter, shaking with nerves. I should probably turn back and go home to Kate. Shawn wouldn't want to see me.
"What would you like, miss?" the barista asked once it was my turn.
